The Tides Bring Us Closer
by Wind's Gale
Summary: The story of how Katara and Bumi grew closer with the pregnancy of Tenzin.


_Word count: 1,082. Prompts: Family, Only one line of dialogue, outgrown clothes. Element: Water._

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There were so many memories that changed her life. Ending a war was only the beginning of it all. Her most precious memories involved the start and growth of her family. It brought tears to her eyes thinking about it. She had grown just as her mother did, nurturing a family. She felt closer to her mother more than ever, despite her mother having died so many years ago.

Each child's birth was a new experience and a new way to grow as a person, a mother, and a wife. She expected Tenzin's birth to be the same, but it wasn't the birth itself that began a new chapter in her life. It was the pregnancy and the events following after the birth that shed new lights on who she was and who her family was.

Everyone patiently awaited Tenzin's birth. Aang was so sure this one was going to be an air bender. Kya barely left her mother's side, always asking questions about the baby or if her mother needed anything. The only one who didn't seem excited was Bumi. He was always an odd, rambunctious kid but lately, he seemed more resentful as Katara's belly grew bigger.

The normally happy yet wild Bumi threw temper tantrums which consisted of ruining entire rooms and yelling at someone. Even the calm, understanding Aang blew his lid and sent Bumi to his room for some of his antics. Katara was puzzled by his behavior at first but everything became clear when her son started targeting anything that had to do with the arrival of his baby sibling.

The day Aang made a new crib, they moved it into their bedroom. It wasn't a massive bedroom but it was large enough for them and their new baby. Aang spent a couple of hours getting the details of the crib just right. Normally he'd make it out of the earth since he wasn't big on extravagant things but he claimed he wanted to do something special, so he made it out of the finest wood he could find. Katara was pleased with it and sometimes stared at it as she sat on her bed and rubbed her distended belly.

They gathered around for dinner later that evening with the other acolytes like they usually did. Bumi, however, wasn't present. Katara set off to find him. She checked every room, including her own. As she peaked inside, she noticed something odd about the crib. One of the legs had been sawed or cut off and now the crib was tilting.

Aang was beyond furious. Bumi was grounded for two weeks, which Katara thought was a little harsh but she didn't argue with Aang. That night, she attempted to talk to her son, but he shut her out by curling in his bed and pulling the blanket over him. She left it alone.

Another day, Katara woke up and found one of the bathrooms was flooded. As soon as she opened the door, water poured out into the hallway. The toys they made for the baby came floating out with the water. Some were alright but others had gotten soggy and even water bending the water out left the toys disfigured.

Of course, her first thought was Bumi. He had denied it but after his mother's pestering, he finally confessed. She punished him with no dessert for a week, though Aang was the one who thought the punishment was too harsh this time. They stuck with it anyway but it didn't curb Bumi's rebellious spree. Anything that had to do with his new sibling on the way was destroyed or went missing. Katara and Aang didn't know what to do. Talking was futile and punishments seemed to make things worse.

Then there was one incident that topped the rest.

One particular day, Aang had gone into the city for a meeting. Kya and Katara decided to make cookies and stew that day. Katara invited Bumi to join them but he protested and ran off somewhere. She didn't have the energy to chase after him with her eight-month belly. Halfway through their cooking, she felt guilty not spending time with her firstborn. While Kya placed scoops of cookie dough onto a metal pan, Katara decided to wobble around and have Bumi join them anyway.

He was normally outside or in his room, but she didn't find him in either places. She had the strangest feeling to check their bedroom. Upon opening the door, her heart broke at what she saw. He jumped when he heard the door open. A pair of scissors in his hand and shredded clothes on the floor told her enough. The clothes used to be Bumi's but since he outgrew them, they decided to use them for their new baby.

Yet, he ruined all of them.

She wanted to scream and punish him. She wanted to cry. She stepped forward and snatched the scissors out of his hand. He was going to run but she grabbed him. Instead of punishing him, she hugged him as close as her stomach would allow. He squirmed and fought at first but eventually started sobbing into his mom as he cuddled close to her.

"I'm sorry." He wept.

She held him for an hour, during which Kya had came in the room and joined them. They spent that time just cuddling against their mom and enjoying the silence. It was then that Katara realized that pregnancy wasn't scary to only a woman.

They returned to the kitchen, this time with Bumi, and resumed their cooking. They baked the cookies and decorated them while Katara started making the stew. It was wonderful to hear both of her children laugh. It was a sound she hadn't heard in a long time.

A month later, Tenzin was born.

Everyone gathered around to peak at the baby while she laid in the hospital bed. Aang had his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Bumi and Kya were kneeling on her bed, talking about all the fun games they were going to play with their brother.

It wasn't the birth alone that created such a warm feeling in their family. It was also the journey that ended up bringing them closer. That moment holding her son created a new level of understanding that she carried with her to her grave.


End file.
